How Melissa Became a Historical Hurricane
Jared Young, Senior Meteorologist

Meteorologists predicted yet another active Atlantic hurricane season this year, and there is no doubt that 2025 has lived up to these expectations. So far this season, the Atlantic basin has had 13 named systems and 5 hurricanes in total, 4 of which ended up being major hurricanes. Most recently, Hurricane Melissa was able to strengthen into a historically strong Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in SW’rn Jamaica on October 28th. Melissa tied the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane as the strongest landfalling hurricane on record (892 mb), also becoming the strongest tropical cyclone across the globe in 2025. Some more interesting tidbits about Melissa that are making many people say that this was the “storm of the century” for Jamaica:

• Melissa was the only Category 5 hurricane reported to ever make landfall on Jamaica. Prior to Melissa, Hurricanes Charlie (1951) and Gilbert (1988) were the strongest hurricanes to make landfall on Jamaica, with these both reaching Category 3 strength before landfall.
• A dropsonde within the system recorded a wind gust at 219 knots (252 mph), which would be the highest wind gust ever recorded if verified in the coming months.
• Melissa made landfall with sustained winds up to 161 knots (185 mph), tying the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane and Dorian (2019) as the strongest on record in the Atlantic Basin.

Figure 1: 2025 Ocean Heat Content Anomaly in the Caribbean Sea. Image courtesy of Brian McNoldy at the University of Miami Upper Ocean Dynamics Lab

A primary factor which led to Melissa undergoing such rapid intensification was the high ocean heat content across the central Caribbean Sea during Melissa’s development. Figure 1 above shows that ocean heat content was roughly 20 kJ/cm2 higher than the 2013-2024 average near October 21st, when Melissa had initially reached Tropical Storm strength in the Caribbean. While enhanced vertical wind shear inhibited Melissa’s ability to organize substantially until the 24th of October, upper level winds finally weakened and the system aligned vertically. Warmer waters were then able to essentially “feed” Melissa as she stalled south of Jamaica, leading to rapid development of the system. These warmer sea surface temperatures also reached deep into the depths of the Caribbean Sea, minimizing the upwelling of cooler waters which usually inhibit further strengthening in large hurricanes. In addition, there is also a large amount of evidence that Hurricane Melissa did not undergo a conventional eyewall replacement cycle, which prevented any sort of weakening in the system before making landfall.

Figure 2: Satellite Imagery of Hurricane Melissa just hours prior to landfall in Jamaica. Image Courtesy of the Colorado State University CIRA Satellite Library

WRI was closely monitoring the development of Hurricane Melissa well in advance, and we were successful in keeping sailors out of harm's way as vessels begin the typical winter migration from Florida towards the Caribbean for the upcoming charter season. While the Atlantic Hurricane season is likely to wind down through the coming weeks, we are happy to provide assistance to both old and new clients as the more challenging winter frontal pattern across the Atlantic Basin continues in the coming months. Reach out today to schedule a forecast for any upcoming voyages or charters!

WRI Sponsors the Oasis Lounge at 2025 FLIBS
Cara Czech, Meteorologist

WRI was proud to yet again return to the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show last month as a sponsor of the Oasis Lounge, for the sixth time.

The Oasis Lounges, organized by Global Marine Travel, provide a place where captains and crew can take a break from the show.  There were two locations again this year, one near the Swimming Hall of Fame and the other at the Superyacht Village, both serving complimentary food and beverages.  

This year, myself and colleague Alex Avalos were in attendance. We spent the day prior to the show walking the docks at Bahia Mar, inviting captains and crew to visit the Lounges throughout the show. 

Like in previous years, the weekly menu was comprised of a variety of international cuisines each day of the show. Those who attended every day were able to enjoy bake ziti al Forno, yucca fries, smoky BBQ spareribs, and cinnamon-sugar churros, just to name a few dishes throughout the days.

Day one of the show started off with a rainy and overcast sky, but we fortunately lucked out as much of the remaining show days saw mostly clear skies. The following couple days offered much cooler temperatures in the mid-70's, with the beginning of November to bring back some heat in the upper-70's to lower-80's. During the first few days of the show, many of our discussions were about Hurricane Melissa, as the system had just made landfall over Jamaica on the 28th and over Cuba on the 29th. 

It was personally my first time attending FLIBS, and it was a pleasurable experience meeting everyone who made the Oasis Lounge possible. This included meeting some crew members of various yachts, and putting a face to the name for a few of our captains that were in attendance. We always appreciate the opportunity to give back to the yachting community as a sponsor of the Oasis Lounge. We hope that you enjoyed the show as much as we did if you attended!